


this is the only way we know time works

by ConsultingAlchemist



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Welcome to Night Vale Novel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 20:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10368375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsultingAlchemist/pseuds/ConsultingAlchemist
Summary: “Rough day at work?” Cecil asked knowingly, turning to glance to his side as he put the car in gear. Carlos stared at him through his fringe, giving him a defeated smile.“You can say that.”...Cecil and Carlos go home after the death of yet another internSet after theWelcome to Night Valenovel.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is first fanfic I've posted in nearly four years (Yikes).  
> Just a short little thing written for part of a book report I did on the WTNV novel back when it came out and I was still in high school (Double Yikes). I had honestly forgotten about it until I went through some old documents of mine, so hopefully it hasn't somehow been jossed since I wrote it : /
> 
> As always, comments are very much appreciated, and please let me know if there are any glaring errors I missed or if there's anything you think should be tagged!! Thank you!! : )

 

> _Something in me says that this is only the start. The moment after which all other moments will come. And looking back at the point we are at now, we will know that this was before, and that all of our nows from here on out will be after. This is the only way we know time works._
> 
> _Stay tuned next for the sound of a creaking spine and the soft collapse of paper onto itself. And as always, good night, Night Vale._
> 
> _Good night._ (Ch.49, Pg.393)
> 
>  

Cecil did not rise immediately after signing off, instead deciding to sit quietly in his swivel chair for a while longer. Headphones still secure on his head, he listened to the soothing sounds of books being opened and flipped through, almost daring to feel content.

_Carlos would like this_ , he thought idly. Carlos always listened to his segment, so unless he’d already turned off the radio, he was probably listening to the same calming tones right now. _That is, if he wasn’t busy after all that’s happened tonight._

Sighing, Cecil let his head droop, chin tucked firmly against his chest from the weight of the day. Everything had worked out fine in the end, sure, but Cecil would be lying if he said he hadn’t been affected by it in the slightest. He raised his head slowly, with great difficultly, to stare out the window in his recording booth at the empty desk reserved for interns. Sheila had been sitting there just that morning, cheerfully commenting on the colour of the sky.

“I _know_ you said on the forecast yesterday that it was supposed to be taupe,” she had insisted, elbows perched on his desk while she waved her hands energetically “But it honestly seems like more of a _beige_ to me, don’t you find?” Cecil had chuckled condescendingly at that, _kindly_ reminding her who was the experienced radio host of the two of them and recommending a good clinic in town where she could get her eyes checked.

Cecil shook his head to dispel the image, and made to stand up from his chair. However, he was quickly jerked back downwards by the cord of his headphones, still over his ears, knocking his chin against the edge of his desk. He had yanked the cord out of its socket during his fall, and sound of turning pages and creaking spines echoed throughout the recording booth.

He laughed half-heartedly to himself, trying to allow his little mishap to clear up the thick atmosphere bearing down on him. It almost worked, and he felt a small smile on his face as he pulled his lopsided headphones off as he righted himself, reaching a hand over his desk to kill the volume.

Gathering his stuff – a stained NVCR mug, some miscellaneous papers, and a _Jimmy Neutron_ lunchbox – Cecil left the booth. He waved to the closed door labeled _Station Management_ as he passed, ignoring the sinister growling coming from within and avoiding the ooze seeping out from under the door and into the hallway with practiced ease. He shut out the lights on the empty station before locking up, forcing himself to hum a little tune as he walked to his car.

By the time he was inside, Cecil had already convinced himself that his mood had improved. He adjusted his rear-view mirror, making sure to grin at his reflection as he waggled his eyebrows. He checked his phone before setting off, and found that his mood genuinely rose when he noticed a handful of missed texts from Carlos.

**[Sorry about Sheila, are you okay?] 11:55 pm**

Cecil’s chest tightened upon reading the first text, but felt comforted all the same. He knew it was still hard for Carlos to talk about anything involving emotions, and found himself smiling at the effort. Carlos was probably experiencing a great amount of guilt after what had happened with the plastic flamingos, and it meant a lot to Cecil that he’d tried to check up on him despite everything. 

**[I think we have some leftover pasta in the fridge if you’re up for dinner] 11:58 pm**

**[I know you’re probably not up to eating we can watch a movie or something if you want] 11:58 pm**

**[I believe it’s your turn to pick] 11:59 pm**

Cecil knew it wasn’t, but he let it slide. Physics documentaries only made his head hurt, anyway. He thanked Carlos silently for the lie.

**[Have you left NVCR yet? I don’t mean to pressure you or anything but I kind of need a drive] 12:05 am**

**[I stayed behind at the lab to catch the end of your show but everyone’s already left oops] 12:06 am**

Cecil caught himself smiling again, and bit his lip.

**[Cece??] 12:10 am**

**[Are you alright??] 12:10 am**

**[If you don’t respond in the next five minutes I’ll be forced to call your sister] 12:13 am**

Cecil glanced at his dashboard clock. 12:17 am. Yikes. He frantically typed out a message.

**{sorry!!!!! i’m fine i’m on my way please don’t get abby or janice involved please] 12:18 am**

**[Thank Newton you sure know how to worry a guy. Are you alright?] 12:18 am**

**{i already said i’m fine i’ll be there in a few} 12:19 am**

When Cecil pulled up to the lab, Carlos was already seated on the front steps outside of Big Rico’s Pizza, and immediately shot upright the moment he was bathed in headlights. He was already running to the car before it even came to a full stop, sticking his head of disheveled curls into the open passenger side window. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but seemed to lose his train of thought and just stood there in his rumpled lab coat, panting.

“Getting in?” Cecil asked with a grin, when it seemed certain that Carlos wasn’t going to say anything.

Carlos narrowed his eyes, skeptical of Cecil’s good humour, before sliding in beside him. He pulled down the sun visor immediately, glaring at himself in the mirror as he tried to finger-comb his hair into some semblance of order. Carlos gave up with a sigh, brushing nonexistent crumbs from his coat lapels before sinking into the upholstery.

“Rough day at work?” Cecil asked knowingly, turning to glance to his side as he put the car in gear. Carlos stared at him through his fringe, giving him a defeated smile.

“You can say that.”

Both men were silent during the drive home, the only sound in the dark the low rumble of the car. When they finally arrived at the complex where their shared apartment was, the sound died instantly as Cecil killed the engine, leaving them in the oppressive dark and quiet.

“You want to talk about it?” Carlos offered tentatively, his quiet voice sounding almost like a gunshot through the heavy silence.

Cecil thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I’m alright.”

Carlos looked torn between relief and deep concern, before shaking his head and moving to exit the car. With his hand closing around the handle he paused, before appearing to steel himself. He turned, reaching over the console to plant a clumsy kiss on Cecil’s cheek.

“Well, let me know if you change your mind,” Carlos said, voice muffled as he turned to hide his blushing face under the guise of opening the door. After a few failed attempts, his hands finally grasped the handle, sending Carlos tumbling awkwardly out into the night.

Cecil sat there a few extra seconds, hand raised to feel his cheek, before a tiny, genuine smile spread across his features.

“Are you coming?” he heard Carlos shout from outside. He looked up, nodding with his usual enthusiasm, before following Carlos to their apartment.


End file.
